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Monday, November 29, 2010

Fan art of PowerGirl, showing the inked and colored versions. Character owned by DC Comics.

Powergirl is one of the most popular characters drawn by pro-artist Adam Hughes.
More Classic Powergirl & Supergirl artwork below, by DSNG Artist [from the old DA gallery] and the last pic on the right is by Jim Lee:

Friday, November 26, 2010

Presented here are the inked and colored versions.
This year at DragonCon in Atlanta, there was a Steampunk explosion, in costumes worn by the attendees.
As a sub-genre of Sci Fi, Steampunk is basically a fusion of Victorian styled environments and clothing [dating back to the 19th century] and mechanical innovations predominantly powered by steam power, pistons, interconnected levers, gears and other thermodynamic applications.

This pic of Storm, from the superhero team, the X-men, was intended to present a fusion of the aforementioned principles, in terms of her apparel. Her outfit looks both classical and modern. The modified background gear image was sourced as a stock from Wikipedia, while I did all the enhancements in Photoshop.

Although Steampunk is often intertwined with Cyberpunk in terms of proposed concepts, innovations and mechanical designs, they are two completely separate genres.

[A Sexy Poster of Storm of the X-men, by DSNG Artist]

Blade Runner [1982] and The MatrixFranchise [commenced in 1999] are good examples of Cyberpunk, while the Wild Wild West [1999] was perfectly synonymous with the concepts of Steampunk. And you can find a descriptive article I did on the Steampunk genre within my blog a few months ago, over Here.

Popular Marvel Comics artist, Mark Brooks, also produced some Steampunk styled artwork not too long ago. He posted the pics in his DA gallery. I think it was for a personal project, or a comic book pitch...

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Sometimes an artist will draw something and put it aside, with the intention of working on it later or utilizing it as a submissions pack. Here are a series of pics that I did some time ago, and didn't post it in my DA gallery. This sort of thing is commonly called sequential art, in which you are supposed to tell a fluent story, compressed into drafted panels of varied shapes/sizes.
This 5-page set was made with the Marvel group called The Ultimates [or The Ultimate Avengers]. They are like an elite team of Superhero Marines. The story is self-explanatory [the heroes storm a corporate building and attack aliens that are disguised as human civilians] and was inspired by a graphic novel drawn by Bryan Hitch. Characters are owned by Marvel.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Terry Dodson started his career as a comic artist back in 1991 at Revolutionary Comics. Since then he has worked for Dark Horse, Malibu Comics, DC Comics and Marvel Comics. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him, and I've been following his work since 1998/1999, when he was drawing a series called Generation X.

Since then he's drawn a host of series, penciling them to perfection while his talented wife, Rachael, does the inking. Here are some classic covers from my comic book collection, showcasing his magnificent work.

Evolution is something that no artist/creator should be afraid of.
I remember being told by an animator in Atlanta many years ago: "We never stop learning."
He was in his 60s and I was in my 20s. And back then [while I was working on an animated project to be pitched to Disney called D2] I could draw, but didn't know a damn thing about Photoshop. That man was the one who inspired me to make the leap from classic coloring on paper to digital coloring on a screen. And since then I am grateful that someone inspired me to reach higher.

Terry Dodson is also an inspiration to me in that area, because he also has never stopped learning. Today he is a digital colorist as well, giving life to his own work after his wife places her expert finishing touches to it:

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Here are more clips from the forthcoming Tron Legacy movie, scheduled to be released in December. I really hope this movie is worth the hype.

The four Sirens in the image above are the female assistants that help to prep Flynn [the young protagonist in the movie, dressed in the dark-gray rubber-like suit] for his live game battles. The one with the gray hair is their leader, and her name is Jem. From preview clips, she gives occasionally pointers on survival to Flynn.

I keep having suspicions about this movie. Its clear that the director [Joseph Kosinski] utilizes a lot of panoramic shots, taking full advantage of the wide-screen format available in the movie theaters.
There is really nothing wrong with that style, provided it is used to create an intriguing effect that assists in the storytelling. In fact, there's a comic artist that was known for being able to do this on paper to perfection. His name is Michael Turner [RIP, April 21, 1971 – June 27, 2008] and he was one of the artists that I consider as a mentor.

[Images above taken from the Superman Batman: Supergirl graphic novel written by Jeph Loeb and drawn by Michael Turner. The Teen Titans & JLA art is also by the same artist]

Joseph Kosinski hasn't really directed any major blockbusters in the past. he's more known for his TV commercials and his computer graphics work. He's done outstanding commercials for Halo and Gears of War franchises - and those works appear to be the springboard that have pushed him into the directors chair for the CGI filled Tron Legacy.

While I do admire the tight bodysuits and the embedded neon grids that cover all of the...

Monday, November 15, 2010

All right, here is Tygra. I decided to go for a costume and weapon redesign that would set him up to be the black-ops member of the group.

The appeal tied to stealth soldiers is the basis for many comics, books and military movies. Even in the DSNG series, I explore this concept greatly.
If you recall in the Thundercats cartoon intro, Tygra actually had the ability to seemingly teleport himself from one spatial vector to another, with the influence of his whip. Some also tagged this ability as merely turning invisible, so that he could sneak around hastily. It was never really verified if this ability was an optical illusion, or if it was truly a definite relocation from one point to a separate fixed point. Either way, it was a cool trick.

For those familiar with the grim reaper concept, 'messengers of death' usually come and go in a flash, with the intent of inflicting harm and disappearing without a trace. Special Forces solders trained in espionage techniques are groomed to operate in a similar manner. The ability to strike and depart from enemy lines completely undetected is actually part of the effectiveness of stealth operatives.

And utilizing those paradigms as reference points for this redesign, Tygra has become a more lethal warrior. He no longer has a whip, and the scythe weapon he carries is almost like a light-saber, per its ability to be protracted form the top edge of the metal staff he now wields. Strapped to his thighs in the place of handguns are two compact shafts that can be activated into energy blades. And his teleporting ability is now more extensive, covering a range of about 100 feet.

Maybe I'll also remix the New Thundercats, from Season 2 of the cartoon... we'll see...
I'm working on a Mighty Thor commission for someone. Stay tuned.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Here she is. Cheetara was the tough female Thundercat with a rather sultry deep voice. You can't really tag her as the mother of the clan, since she was more of a warrior.

Her new custom armor now allows her to endure caustic attacks and rampant flames; thus she can race over 400 meters through a large blazing warehouse and not feel any stings upon her feet or thighs. Her right gauntlet has sharp claws that enable her to cling to a variety of surfaces, after piercing into them via her finger tips.

In the animated series, she was capable of sustaining her blurring top speed for a limited period, before extreme fatigue set in. This time, she can go as fast as she wants, without adverse physical effects per cybernetic implants that aid her in accelerated respiration.

Her blunt bo staff is gone in this redesign. It is replaced with a more lethal spearing weapon, making her more of a formidable opponent.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Second Thundercat redesign, featuring the team engineer, and the lead creator of the Thundertank. Panthro is the second eldest of the group, after Jaga.

Panthro is known for his creativity and genius. He is also physically the strongest of the TCats and is a cunning warrior in combat, relying both on martial arts and physical strength.

And this redesign stays in line with his original traits, save for a few adjustments I've made.
He now has a mecha-arm; it replaces his right limb, starting at his elbow and ending at his fingers. His left arm has a cool machine gun device around his wrist, almost Gatling-gun styled in its operation. Its capacity is about 0.50 calibers and has an internal compounded silencer ring along with an air-cooled system. His legs also have cybernetic enhancements, so he can leap about 50 feet into the air. Panthers are known for being able to scale over lofty terrain, so its in-line with his nature.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Check this out... the colored version is placed side by side with the B&W so that you can make comparisons.

I wanted to ensure that Liono went beyond appearing as a youth in a mans body. He has always been a character that symbolized strength & loyalty. Thus by looking at his face, you can tell that he has matured into a tough warrior over the years - yet his ruggedly handsome looks endured.
In this design, his sword stays permanently large. But when he yields the war cry, the Eye of Thundera appears and glows red at the core of the large blade.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Something I'm working on... just a teaser image of the New Thundercats:

Its a modern take on a classic sci fi series. Only the four senior Thundercats [Liono, Panthro,Tygra and Cheetara] were included in this redesign. They've all been given custom armor and the last two received modified weapons, but their core characteristics [speed, strength, intelligence etc] remain the same.
The female warrior is the only one with her back turned, thus the T-cat logo is on her left shoulder.

The extended review of the Thundercats series [previously done in this blog] is showcased Here

EDIT:
The colored versions have been completed!
Liono is Here
Panthro is Here
Cheetara is Here
Tygra is Here
and Pumrya is Here

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Here is something I did over the weekend. The inked and colored versions of two Wonder Woman pinups / posters are shown here. Character is owned by DC comics.

I mostly give headlines sourced from interviews with directors/creators when I talk about movie and TV projects, but this time I'll present a suggestion made by a fan. I was browsing through a comic news Web site several weeks ago and saw that DC Comics is picking around the idea of a Wonder woman TV series. And some random guy posted a link in the comment section about his pick for who should play the Amazon warrior princess.

Her name is Tanit Phoenix and she's an actress/model, born in South Africa:

She's one hot lil' mama. Tanit was born in 1980, so she's still quite young. And she's got the alluring eyes and natural dark hair for the role. Mostly having starred in foreign films, she has a good acting resume, available at the IMDB along with more pictures.

If you know of a better female who can fit the role of Wonder Woman, per natural beauty [don't worry about battle skills, those can always be learned], just let me know.

EDIT #1:
As of February 2011, online reports indicate that a movie is being pitched for the Wonder Woman franchise. Details on the selected actress are still to come. We'll just have to wait and see who is picked for the role...

EDIT #2:

As of March 2011, press releases have verified that a TV series pilot for NBC has been approved for the Wonder Woman franchise, featuring Adrianne Palicki [the heroine] and Elizabeth Hurley [the villain].

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Up in the sky... it's a bird, it's a.... damn it, it's Tom Cruise pulling off one hell of a stunt.

On Tuesday [11/02/2010], at a press conference held in sunny Dubai, Tom Cruise proudly unveiled the title of his next MI movie: "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol". And this time the mission drags him and his daring IMF team to the United Arab Emirates, amongst other global locations

Brad Bird is directing this fourth film. And Tom Cruise is producing with the third installment helmer J.J. Abrams [The guy behind the 2009 Star Trek]. The duo devised the story, which was masterfully turned into a screenplay by Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec.
The action/adventure film stars the following veteran actors:

and Anil Kapoor [Respected bollywood actor, and appeared in Slumdog Millionaire].

There's no word on the villain or comprehensive movie plot yet. But this fourth movie is slated for release in the fourth quarter of 2011, possibly in December.

Not too long ago, the world's tallest building with residential quarters was built there in Dubai. The name of that towering structure is the Burj Khalifa. And it stands at 828 meters [approximately 2,717 ft] from the ground.

An American football field is about 109 meters in length. Now imagine stacking 8 football fields end to end, and erecting them vertically into the sky. That will give you an idea of how tall the Burj Khalifa tower really is.

This outstanding building [which cost about $1.5 billion to create] can be seen from the neighboring countries, Saudi Arabia and Oman. And per its grand scale, despite the fact that sales of the million-dollar condos within it have been rather low, it seems only natural that it has already caught the eye of a popular Hollywood franchise.

A few pictures have been released showcasing Tom dangling from a thick cable near the top of the massive structure, doing his thing as superspy Ethan Hunt. The thing you see in the zoomed-out photo isn't Tom; its a helicopter capturing the action. [Photo on the right, above, is courtesy of Sky News].

And per eyewitness reports, there are action scenes which take place within the Burj Khalifa, around the midsection of the tall structure.

I'm not sure how the logical premise for his presence up there is going to be set up in the movie, but considering the phenomenal sky pendulum stunt he pulled off in the third act of MI:3 while chasing the elusive "rabbit's foot" in Japan, there will probably be a damn good reason his daredevil stunt in Dubai.

When considering notarized spy movies, Jason Bourne will probably be at the top of the list for dynamics and infused realism, and James Bond will probably be lower... much lower, if we're talking about probable events that could be conceived within the realm of our modern reality. But the niche carved out by Ethan Hunt is a unique one; the MI movies never go over the top in their presented theories/technologies, and they still manage to provide excessive entertainment as they take the viewer on a guided odyssey.

Some will say that MI:2 was the best of the present trilogy, and that stance is quite understandable:

Tom is one of those actors that you either love or hate. But regardless of the personal opinions that fans and critics have on him, he's the kind of guy that deserves respect for working his ass off and adamantly doing his own stunts... regardless of how crazy they may seem to be.

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EDIT ON JULY 1, 2011 - MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 4 MOVIE UPDATES:

New info on the forthcoming MI:4 - Ghost Protocol movie have been released. And several sources confirm that it features the tough-as-nails MI team led by Ethan Hunt [played by Tom Cruise] being branded as a gang of terrorists, per a gruesome bombing that takes place overseas. The MI team is disavowed by the national government agency that houses their covert group and funds their black-ops missions. And the team members are forced to flee from the USA and embark upon a daring mission around the world to clear their names.

The New Trailer below will give you a taste of things to come [MI:4 - Ghost Protocol movie is slated for release in December 2011]:

**EDIT ON NOVEMBER 6TH, 2011 - NEW MI4 PHOTOS:

Here are several production pics & photos / Official posters from Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol and some cool stills from the trailers. Jeremy Renner is a fellow mysterious MI special agent. Simon Pegg acts as the guy in charge of the hi-tech gizmos. And Paula Patton is the actress in the sexy green evening gown, shown below.

Check out this recent Article From Yahoo Movies News, talking about MI:4 and its premise.
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Written by Matt McDaniel on June 28, 2011:

The problem with a lot of movie sequels is that they are too similar to the original films. Oftentimes, they'll copy the plot and style of the first installment so closely they feel more like remakes than standalone film. But that's never been the case with "Mission: Impossible."Tom Cruise first turned the classic 1960s TV spy show into a big-screen blockbuster 15 years ago. And while a few key elements have shown up in each sequel -- Cruise, Ving Rhames, identity-concealing masks, and, of course, the theme song -- the subsequent movies have their own look and feel. Each movie had a different director (Brian De Palma, John Woo and J.J. Abrams, respectively) who put their own stamp on the material. And the sequels brought in new costars, exotic locales and hair-raising stunts to try to top the one that came before.
From the looks of the just-released trailer, the fourth film, "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol," could be the most radical departure yet. Cruise returns as IMF secret agent Ethan Hunt, but this time he's backed by a new team that includes the Oscar-nominated star of "The Hurt Locker," Jeremy Renner. The cast also includes Paula Patton ("Precious"), Josh Holloway (TV's "Lost"), and Simon Pegg (the first actor other than Cruise and Rhames to appear in two "M:I" movies).

The added stars mean that Tom Cruise's character isn't doing all the action himself in this movie. The trailer shows Renner dropping down an airshaft on cables, much like Cruise did so memorably in the first movie. And Holloway can be seen running across a rooftop and plummeting to the ground. Even Pegg, who was stuck behind a computer in "Mission: Impossible 3," gets in on the fighting.

Still, Cruise isn't exactly sitting on the sidelines in "Ghost Protocol." The trailer has him running from massive explosions, getting tossed around inside a rolling car, and narrowly avoiding getting squished by another flipping vehicle. And in an already infamous stunt, Cruise can be seen hanging off Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest structure ever built. He really did dangle from wires outside of the building almost 1500 feet in the air.

Naturally, the movie crosses the globe, filming in the United Arab Emirates, Russia, India, and the Czech Republic. It has an international cast of villains as well, including Anil Kapoor ("Slumdog Millionaire"), Michael Nyqvist ("The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo") and Léa Seydoux ("Robin Hood"). Plus, some scenes in the movie were shot on IMAX cameras, so the big scenes will fill up the giant-sized screens like in "The Dark Knight."
"Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" also breaks new ground by being the first live-action movie directed by Brad Bird. Formerly a director of animated films for Pixar, Bird won Academy Awards for his movies "The Incredibles" and "Ratatouille." It's very unusual for a "first-time" director to get the reins of a big-budget action spectacle like this, but it's not the first time. J.J. Abrams also hadn't directed a feature when he took on "MI:3," and he went on to have hits with "Star Trek" and "Super 8."

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And Check out these posters from the explosive DSNG Sci Fi Series [Both of the ebooks below feature undercover / black-ops operations in a futuristic world]: